Sponsored by
Today’s Agenda
Ownership and Agency
Good Morning!
Welcome back to our regularly scheduled programming. For anyone wondering, London was a blast.
We’re changing the rhythm a little bit this week. If you’re looped into the theological times, you’d know that on Monday, Pope Leo XIV released an encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas. It was basically an 83 page position against AI. I could be wrong, I haven’t read it. But from the highlights, that’s what I took from it. Well, exactly 135 years earlier to the day, Pope Leo XIII released a historic encyclical called Rerum Novarum that they taught us about in school. I found it a bit nostalgic so I went back and re-read it and found a rich amount of philosophical and psychological points being made that I’d like to dive in on. I can’t say for sure yet how this will develop over the week, so just bear with me.
Today, we’ll talk about some points from the Rerum Novarum today, followed by a little thought calorie burn and a little quote analysis to close.
Tomorrow, we’ll get into the modern-day, Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas.
Strap yourselves in, I’m excited for this one. Thought Breakfast is served!
Today’s Breakfast
Human Beings Need More Than Survival
The very outset of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum draws a simple distinction that not many people think about. When we try to think about what separates us from animals, we think it’s that we wear clothes and eat using cutlery. There’s a level of existence, however, that draws a much deeper line between us and animal creation. Animals are fine in their existence as long as they have food and safety. To experience human life, however, there is a deeper yearning for meaning. People don’t simply want food, shelter, and security. We want things like agency, responsibility, stability, and control. Pope Leo XIII suggests that in order to obtain those higher forms of purpose in life that give human existence meaning, ownership of property is necessary, and therefore a God-given right. For a human being, a life with no sense of ownership can begin feeling passive and dependent.
In Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII argues that ownership matters because it gives people genuine power of disposal over their lives. Many people think that this word, “ownership,” is all about wealth. It’s not. Ownership creates responsibility, enhances decision-making, and increases active participation in life. Human beings relate differently to each of the things they’re responsible for.
Now, it’s easy as human beings to slip into a life of un-ownership. When people feel completely powerless over things like work, time, the environment, or especially the future, life can begin feeling detached and mechanical. Constant dependence produces in human beings feelings of passivity, resentment, and disengagement. The point is: people need some meaningful sphere of responsibility in order to feel fully human.
Ownership is not only material, either. It can be purely psychological, too. People can possess their values, their work, relationships, discipline, and their sense of direction. A meaningful life often feels partially “owned” from the inside, and therefore meaningful.
Burn Those Thought Calories
The Ownership Check
Ask yourself:
What in my life do I genuinely have responsibility over?
Where have I become passive or overly dependent?
What part of my life feels most meaningfully “mine”?
Book Nook
“It is precisely in such power of disposal that ownership obtains.”
— Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum
Pope Leo XIII is saying that ownership matters because it gives people real control over part of their lives. Human beings need responsibility and the ability to make decisions for themselves in order to feel engaged with life. When something genuinely belongs to you, whether it’s property, work, or even a responsibility, you relate to it differently.
Munch on that for today. I know it was a long one, but I have a lot of making up to do for you all. Have a great day and come back tomorrow for some more Thought Breakfast!
Free gummies for better weather
The sun is here and we're back outside!
Longer days, lighter hangs, and THC gummies that fit the vibe. Grab a free pack of gummies from Cycling Frog! Just cover $4.99 shipping. Fruity, perfectly dosed, and made for campfires, park days, and whatever summer turns into.
Must be 21+ and only valid on 10ct bags of gummies
NOT VALID IN OH, CA, CO, AL, LA AND NJ.
New Faces
Was this email forwarded to you?
Thank you for reading along with us today! If you enjoy this content, and want to start your days grounded in thought and mindfulness, I suggest you have a seat at our table! Smash that button below to check out more editions and subscribe!
That’s it for today.
Remember to stay mindful, smell the flowers, and take it easy.
Chef Ricky - Thought Breakfast
